Pomegranate Temptation
by Emerald S. Sparrow
Summary: By request, the story of how Hades and Persephone came to be - and yes, Persephone was begging for it!
1. Part One: Temptation

Author's Notes: _As is usual for me, I was meandering on DeviantArt and just typed in "Hades and Persephone" in the search bar. I came across a beautiful piece by ladylionink called "Pomegranate," and it inspired me to go ahead and write my take on our favorite couple coming together, as some of you have requested for so long. Thanks to the many of you who have read and reviewed all my Hades/Persephone fics, it makes my day to hear from you! _

_Many thanks to my wonderful Beta, __**Slytherin-Me**__! _

H~P~H~P

Persephone groaned as she came into consciousness, blinking her eyes open to the dim light of the room. Her head hurt just a little, and her arms were shaking from the pressure of being held up. Held up? She squinted and tilted her head back to see her hands shackled, a chain leading from the rocky ceiling supporting the manacles. Still confused, she twisted her head as far back as she could to see that she was only a foot or two from the end of the Lord of the Underworld's truly gigantic bed. A shiver of anticipation shimmied down her spine, her nipples hardening to tight buds. And it was in that moment she realized she was naked as the day she'd been born.

She heard a half-amused, half-aroused chuckle seconds before Hades appeared before her, his eyes dark with desire. He was utterly breathtaking, his obsidian eyes only a small attribute to his appeal. He was tall, so tall, with broad shoulders and chiseled muscles that bulged against his leather clothing. Her gaze settled on his powerful thighs, corded with muscle. Unlike the other gods, he was pale rather than tan, but it worked for him because of his jet-black hair which curled softly away from his stunningly male face. Just one glance at him stole her breath completely away from her lungs.

Gulping delicately, she asked him, "Have you absolutely lost your mind?" She attempted to sound outraged to hide her growing excitement. Of course, being bare in front of him made that difficult.

"Perhaps I have," he replied in his deep baritone, never taking his gaze from hers. "I felt it was time to act."

"In what sense?" she asked, trying for nonchalance.

"Come now, Persephone. You've teased me for the last time."

"Teased you!" She didn't have to feign outrage then. "When have I ever teased you?"

"At every turn!" he replied heatedly, taking a step toward her, but stopping himself and taking a deep breath as if resuming control. "Since our introduction when you came of age, you have flirted endlessly with me, and others – but only when you knew I was watching. And you know I watch you, Persephone." He reached out and took a lock of her hair between his gloved fingers, twirling it distractedly. "It is one of my favorite pastimes."

"I like watching you, too," she murmured, watching his face for any sign of what in Zeus' name he was thinking.

"I know," he replied arrogantly. He dropped her hair and stepped back. "That is the point." He turned from her, linking his hands behind his back. Persephone tried to ignore how well his derrière fit into the tight leather of his pants. "When your mother announced you would not be given to any god – ever – I decided I was done waiting." He pivoted and stared determinedly at her. "You would make me wait longer if you could."

"That is untrue, and unfair," Persephone defended, frowning intensely at him. "You know how my mother is. I am not a coward, Hades; it is just that she is so difficult." Hades had been courting her for almost an entire year. He attended Zeus and Hera's tiresome parties just to spend time with her, came up with distractions for Demeter so that they could find time alone. Although they'd fallen deeply in love, he'd obviously grown weary, and Persephone didn't blame him in the least. She wanted him with an all-consuming need, loved him with a passion not heard of among gods; she had probably communicated her need without even knowing it in her innocence, and yet Hades had always been the perfect gentleman. Their kisses were chaste and their caresses brief. This barely restrained side of him excited her in a way she hadn't thought possible. She felt guilty for not having stood up to her mother and told her she would be with Hades, but at the same time, she was delighted that Hades had taken such measures. It would certainly be a turning point.

"I don't think you a coward, little one. I know your mother better than you, I think, for you only wish to see the best in her. That is why I have taken such drastic measures." He pulled first one glove off, then the other, and threw them behind him.

Persephone's eyes widened. She wanted him, but she was terrified. Everything would change. She couldn't help being apprehensive. "I'm unsure if this was the right way to go about things. What did you do, bash me on the head with a rock? I feel as if Athena is about to spring from my skull." She rubbed her temple along her arm, and then frowned at him. "And the manacles were unnecessary. What would I do, run?"

"Hush," he commanded. He clutched the end of his leather tunic and drew it over his head, discarding it the way he had his gloves. Persephone's breath hitched in her throat. His chest and torso were pure perfection. Hardened pectorals, rippling abs, and a deep v-line etched above his hips made a heat blossom in her core the likes of which she'd never known. If he was this magnificent bare above the waist, how would she react when he removed his trousers?

"I enjoy your reaction to me, my sweet." He smirked in that arrogant male manner that would've been distasteful on anyone else but him. "I am enjoying the sight of your delectable body, as well."

"Hades…" Persephone cleared her throat and bit her lower lip. "I don't see… I mean, I don't understand how this will… will solve things." She was sure she sounded like a bumbling idiot, but the pure magnificence of the god in front of her made her head feel fuzzy. He made her feel as if she'd had too much wine.

Hades circled her like some great big predator, surveying her from head to toe, again and again, until she had to close her eyes from the sensuality of it all. He stopped behind her finally, and at the same time his hard body pressed into her from behind, his hands cupped her breasts. A whoosh of air escaped her and she instinctively melted back into him, a soft moan escaping her as his thumbs stroked her nipples.

He pressed a kiss to the tender skin below her earlobe, and whispered, "I shall give you a most… delicious solution."

"You shall?" she repeated breathlessly.

"Mmm." His left hand slid down her stomach, her abdomen, and his fingers skimmed the curls at the junction of her thighs. Persephone stopped breathing, and Hades laughed low in his throat as he cupped her heat with his big hand possessively. In his right hand appeared a pomegranate, which he held in front of her face. "Eat this, and you shall be mine forever."

Persephone's eyelids fluttered. It seemed so innocent, that pomegranate. But she knew well the rules of the Underworld. Partake of its fruit, and never be able to return to the surface. Even Zeus, who probably could have gotten away if he wanted, was weary of food in the Underworld. She tried to weigh the pros and cons, tried to think of how much she would miss her mother, but all she could think of was Hades' hand cupping her heat and his warm breath against her neck. She wanted him, loved him. He was a temptation she could no longer resist.

"Eat this, and then I shall eat you," he whispered against her ear, and slid a finger up between her nether lips, causing her to cry out and arch against him.

Making her choice, she leaned forward and bit into the pomegranate, closing her lips around it eagerly. She took a second bite, ignoring the juice dripping down her chin. She heard Hades groan and paused, tilting her head back to meet his eyes. He took her mouth in a bruising kiss, then released her mouth and urged the pomegranate back to her lips.

"Hades!" A high-pitched tenor voice rang out in the cavernous room, and Persephone drew back with a gasp. Hades cursed behind her, and suddenly a flowing black gown appeared over her sun-kissed curves.

"You were not invited into my domain, Hermes. Get out." Anger rolled off Hades in waves, aimed at the messenger god standing before them.

"You have endangered the mortal realm with your actions. Have you forgotten how time passes differently on the surface? Demeter has withdrawn her blessing from the earth, and Zeus is displeased with your selfishness." Hermes' eyes traveled over Persephone's form lasciviously, and he looked on Hades with jealousy. "You are to return Persephone at once."

"She cannot return. She's eaten my fruit." Hades threw the half-eaten pomegranate at Hermes' feet.

Hermes retrieved it with a grim visage. "She still must go before Zeus, as must you, to explain yourself."

"I do not have to explain myself to him," Hades ground out through clenched teeth.

"Hades," Persephone spoke softly, leaning back into him.

He seemed to realize she was still bound, and with a thought released her wrists from the manacles. He pulled her back against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I will not release you, not ever."

"Let us speak to my father. I believe there's something you hold over his head?" She was speaking, of course, about the promise Zeus had made to his brother at the moment of her conception; that she would one day belong to Hades in marriage. Then again, Zeus had probably promised Demeter that Persephone would never have to be married.

Hades finally nodded agreement and sent a hard look at Hermes. "Do not ever invade my private quarters again." With that, he disappeared with Persephone in his arms, attempting to control his fury at being interrupted so that he could speak with his brother calmly.

H~P~H~P

"I am surprised at you, Persephone. Have you no objection to your abduction and seduction?" Zeus was regarding her with interest, as if she were some new species he'd just created on a whim. He had changed the subject when Hades had reminded him of his promise to make Persephone Hades' wife, and as Persephone had feared, Demeter had interjected that Zeus had made a promise to her that Persephone would never be given in marriage.

"I have no objections, no. I love Hades, and I want to be his wife." Persephone glared at her mother across the hall.

"He's poisoned her mind! Look what he's done to my baby," Demeter lamented, clutching at her _peplos _in distress.

"You do realize even if you wanted to return to your mother, you could not; you ate of the fruit of the Underworld." Zeus rolled his eyes at his sister's hysterics.

"She was fully aware when she ate of my fruit," Hades growled. "She is mine."

"Hermes showed me the pomegranate. She only ate six of the seeds, half of the fruit. She is not a permanent resident of the Underworld!" Demeter was clutching at straws in an effort to save her child, though it was obvious Persephone did not wish to be saved.

"Aha!" Zeus exclaimed, and everyone frowned at him.

"'Aha' what?" Hades snarled, wanting nothing more than to zap both his brother and sister, and take Persephone back to his bedchamber.

"I have found an apt solution to this little problem of ours," Zeus declared, rubbing his blonde beard smartly. "She ate six seeds of the pomegranate. Therefore, she must stay in the Underworld six months. But for the other half of the year, she shall stay aboveground with her mother."

Everyone started shouting at once. "I'm not just an object to be moved around at the pleasure of others!" Persephone screeched.

"You know time passes differently in the Underworld, they will have an eternity together while I rot by myself on earth!" Demeter yelled.

"I will not tolerate her absence for so long a duration!" Hades shouted.

"I've made my decision," Zeus sad coldly, in a voice that echoed around the marble halls. One did not argue with the King of the Gods when he spoke in such a voice. "You will all abide by it. Hades, come spring, your wife will return to her mother. And Demeter, come autumn, your daughter will return to her husband."

Persephone sighed resignedly. It was the best she was going to get, she knew. And though she opposed being treated in such a way, she was content that she'd be able to still see her mother and be Hades' wife.

"Take me home, Husband," Persephone said to Hades softly, her gaze filled with love. Tonight she would truly become his wife. She squeezed his large hand with her small one.

"Persephone!" Demeter exclaimed, moving toward them.

"I'll miss you, Mother. But I'm not a little girl anymore. I shall see you in the Spring."

Hades and Persephone disappeared, leaving a gaping Demeter in their wake.

H~P~H~P

A/N_: Yes, there will be a Part 2 with a consummation of their marriage. Like I would skip that part ;) Review!_


	2. Part Two: Consummation

Author's Notes: _Thank you to those of you who read and reviewed Part One, and like I said in the beginning, those of you who have steadily read and reviewed all of my Hades/Persephone fics. I always write with hopes you'll enjoy my works, considering how much this genre and couple mean to me. There will be many more stories to come if I have anything to say about it!  
_

_Many thanks to my clever and talented Beta, __**Slytherin-Me**__, who knows just how to tempt my mind with thoughts of dark, dangerous, yet loving men; and who Beta'd this even while not feeling very good. Miss and love you, darling._

_H~P~H~P_

"Are you frightened?" Hades whispered in question as he held her in his arms at the foot of his massive bed. He nuzzled her head, breathing in the scent of her russet hair.

"Just a little," she admitted softly.

"I would never harm you," he assured her, squeezing her tighter to him.

"I know that, Hades," she replied with a smile. She pressed a kiss to his chest.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her, leaning back and holding her gently by the upper arms. His gaze was intent upon her face.

"You know I do," she whispered, reaching up to caress his jaw.

"Do you love me?" he questioned further, but it held a hint of hesitancy, and her heart ached for him. He'd been shown so little of love in his long existence. Would anyone have ever tried to get to know him, and love him, if she had not come along?

"With all my heart, Hades, I love you." She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Then let me make you my wife, my queen. I will love you for eternity, cherish you always." He bent his head to hers and kissed her tenderly. He wanted to go slow, introduce her to the joys of the marriage bed with utmost gentleness, but he had waited so long to make her his. He drew back from her and cupped her beloved face in his hands. "Kiss me, Persephone. Show me your hunger."

She almost, almost hesitated. But she decided in that moment to shed all of her inhibitions, all of her fear, all of her worries. Yes, this would change everything – she would be a wife and queen, and her powers as a goddess would grow immensely, and no doubt her mother would be furious when she returned – but she had waited what seemed like eons for this moment with Hades. She felt free and happy for the first time since childhood, and she owed it to Hades and his devious abduction. Her mouth tilted up at the corners, and she sank her hands into Hades' hair and leaned up to capture his lips with her own. They were meant to be; she'd known that from the moment they'd first laid eyes on each other. And they finally, finally had the opportunity to be together. She wouldn't waste it, not because she was a timid little virgin. Besides – Hades would help her along. He'd always been there for her.

She molded herself to his front, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck to steady her as she kissed him deeply. Imitating what he had done earlier, she traced his full lips with her tongue. When he didn't respond, she pulled back to frown at him. "Is that not right?" she asked softly, chewing at her lower lip.

Hades' eyes were a little wide as he stared at her. His hands were tight on her hips. He seemed to shake himself out of his stupor, and grinned wolfishly at her. She grinned back, but when he bent his head to hers again she pushed away from him. She kept retreating until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed.

Before he could say a word, or even move toward her, she slid the straps of her gown off her shoulders, and let it slip down her body to the ground. She held his gaze, trying to display how much she wanted him with her eyes.

Hades' nostrils flared. He almost looked angry, but she knew better. In her innocence, she'd taunted him once again, and he looked ready to devour her. "You don't know what you provoke, little one," he growled, fists clenching and unclenching.

"I think I do," she whispered back, watching as his leather trousers drew impossibly tighter over his body. She met his intense gaze and commanded in a steady voice, "Come to me."

He started toward her with such a fierce expression she gulped. "Wait!" she cried, and he halted so abruptly his whole body jerked with the movement. He was glaring at her while he breathed heavily. "Remove them," she demanded, nodding at his trousers.

Hades was near to bursting. His goddess was standing completely bare in front of his bed, and she had shed all of her inhibitions. But in doing so, she'd boiled his blood to such a fever pitch he was barely retaining control. He charged toward her, ignoring her statement, and pulled her shivering body into his arms, reveling in her gasp.

He held her trapped in his embrace, so tight she couldn't even put her own arms around him. He bent his head and spoke into her hair, wincing at his own guttural tone. "It is time you understood something, Persephone." She felt so damn good in his arms; her body pliant, her skin like hot silk. "_I_ am in charge here." He pulled back and held her away from him. "Remove them yourself," he commanded her, and smirked at her dilated eyes and gasping breaths. He'd always known once he got her to himself she'd be a little wanton.

She was as dazed as he had been when she'd kissed him so passionately. Holding her by the shoulders, he guided her down to a kneeling position before him. Her wintergreen eyes grew so round it would have been comical had he not been so damned aroused.

Her cool fingers slipped into the waistband of his trousers. They sat so low on his hips that she actually brushed the base of his impressive manhood just by curling her fingers. As if that one brief touch had overwhelmed her, she hastily untied the laces and peeled the leather from his hips, down his thighs and to his ankles. Hades hissed as the cool air hit his skin. When he looked down at Persephone, she appeared so starved he groaned.

Tearing her gaze away from his bobbing arousal, she swallowed convulsively and choked out, "It's so big."

Hades gave a strangled laugh and stroked her hair. "All gods are well-endowed, sweet." He cupped her face and tried to draw her up, but her hands wrapped around his thighs and she stayed on her knees before him.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, and suddenly tilted her head in question. "Why does it look as if it's weeping?" she asked, and stroked her index finger over the head of him, where a pearly drop of his essence had escaped. His erection jerked in response to her touch, and she let out a nervous giggle.

Hades clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. It was his fault, really, that he was suffering such unbelievable torture. He should've been a better teacher. But he was so astonished, and so incredibly affected by her touch, he couldn't blame himself. When he opened his eyes, it was to see her head moving forward, and before he could stop her, she'd stroked her tongue over the head of his arousal. He groaned and had to steady himself with a hand to the large bedpost.

Persephone drew back, and there was a mischievous gleam in her eye. "You like that, don't you?" When he just stared at her open-mouthed, she smirked. "I like it, too. You taste… different from anything I've ever tasted." Her hand wrapped around the base of his shaft, and she squeezed gently. "Can I taste more of you?"

"Persephone…" Hades was gripping the bedpost so tight he thought it would snap at any moment. He gazed down at her with a pained expression. "You're killing me."

"Please don't deny me, Hades," she murmured, and leaned forward. She stroked the length of him, loving the way he felt. It was like hot velvet over a rod of steel, and she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Before he could try to stop her, she wrapped her lips around the head of his shaft.

One of his hands went to the back of her head. He gripped a handful of her hair and growled, "Persephone." He would lose all control if she made love to him with her innocent mouth. She didn't even know what she was doing, and he was in bliss.

She ignored his hand in her hair and squeezed the base of his manhood while lowering her mouth over him. She took him as far as she could, til the tip of him touched the back of her throat, and then slid him back out. She withdrew and looked up at him with wide eyes when he bucked against her. "Did I hurt you?"

"Yes, you hurt me good, sweet," he groaned. He'd never pleaded with anyone for anything, but he found himself begging her, "Try it again… suck me, Persephone."

She cocked her head at him, her long ringlets falling over her shoulder. She was so beautiful and he was so at her mercy. She stroked the length of his massive erection again, so lovingly, then took him back into her mouth and sucked and sucked until he thought the top of his head would blow off. He stopped her by cupping her face and sliding her mouth off of his length, though it killed him to do so, but he didn't want to come just yet. For their first time, he wanted to be inside her when he spilled his seed. She pouted prettily for him, and he suddenly realized how blessed he was to have her for his own; some of the goddesses didn't prefer to bring their men to completion with their mouths, but his Persephone looked as though she were bereft without him between her lips.

"My turn," he rumbled before he took her mouth in a bruising kiss. She tried to wrap her arms around him, but he pulled away and stared down at her. She opened her luscious mouth to speak, but he used one hand to push at her shoulder, and she fell back over the end of the bed with a squeak.

Suddenly her eyes widened. "Surely you don't mean…"

Hades knelt at the end of the bed and took hold of her ankles. "Oh, but I _do_ mean." He jerked her legs a little more roughly than he meant to, but he'd spotted the wetness signaling her rampant desire shimmering on the curls between her legs, and he was as ravenous for her as she'd been for him. When her rounded bottom was on the edge of his bed, he spread her legs wide and moved between them, eyes fixed on her center. He wrapped his arms around the outside of her thighs and spread them wider, resting her knees on his shoulders.

"Hades!" Persephone gasped, embarrassed to be in such an intimate position, but also shivering with excitement.

"I warned you if you ate the pomegranate, I'd eat you." He lowered his head and glided his tongue between her nether lips, from her slick opening to her tiny engorged nub, just the way he'd done with his finger as she'd eaten his fruit. Her startled, pleasured gasp was like the sweetest symphony in his ears, and he repeated the action a little more forcefully. Her hips lifted from the bed. Hades chuckled low in his throat. She hadn't seen anything yet.

Persephone had never felt anything so divine such as this. Before, when they'd been secretly courting, he'd caressed her hand or wrist and she'd thought that was the most wonderful sensation. Now that he'd given her more, she knew what real bliss was.

Then he thrust his tongue into her heat, and she had to grab onto the silk sheet for dear life. He hummed against her center as he made love to her with his tongue, and her moans filled the air, echoing around the cavernous room like some erotic solo performance. She found herself with one hand clutching the sheets, and one hand gripping his hair as she reared against his questing tongue. She was begging him, for what she wasn't sure, but she was sobbing, "Please, Hades, please!" There was such a great pressure within her that had been building since the moment he'd touched her. "Please!" she cried, a tear slipping down her cheek.

He replaced his tongue with one his fingers, entering her slowly but surely. "I'm going to make you come now, Persephone. Are you ready?" He slipped a second finger into her, and there was a brief feeling of pain, but then the pleasure overwhelmed her.

"Yes! Yes I'm ready, please Hades, make me come!" She didn't know what she was asking for; she just knew he knew what she needed, that the pressure within her had built to its zenith.

And then she couldn't think at all, for as he pumped his fingers into her tight heat, he began sucking fiercely at her throbbing bud, and she screamed with the pleasure of it all. A hot, tingling rush that started in her belly and spread through her entire body made her arch off the bed, and she gasped with the ecstasy she experienced. The pressure eased, and she knew that's what Hades had meant about making her come. He was lapping at her with such fervor she felt another, lesser tingle surge through her body.

Hades lifted his head and watched Persephone's lovely breasts as she took in great gulps of air. He was as satisfied as he'd ever been, feeling arrogant and proud, and unbelievably pleased with her. Her taste, her scent, her reaction melted his heart and made him feel a deep contentment, a brand-new feeling for him. He stood and pulled her up into his arms, then climbed onto the bed and laid her back down, her head falling onto the pillows. Her hair fanned out around her head, and she looked up at him with adoring wintergreen eyes as he propped himself up on his elbow next to her.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, stroking a hand down her body. Her skin was still flushed red from her pleasure. He intended to keep the deep red blush on her for the next few hours.

"You make me feel beautiful, Hades. I didn't even know that was possible." She turned her head and kissed his shoulder.

"There is much more for me to show you, sweet." He bent his head and took one of her rosy nipples into his mouth, laving it expertly with his tongue. She gasped again, and Hades knew he'd never grow tired of the sound. He rose over her, kneeling between her legs and palming her breasts with reverence. He kneaded them, massaged them, then rolled her nipples between his fingers slowly, working her back up into a fever pitch. Her eyes clouded with desire, and she reached up to caress his shoulders. She was writhing on the bed, her heat rubbing against his thigh as she instinctively sought for his possession.

"From this moment on, Persephone, you will be mine. You were already mine, but this is irrevocable. When I spill within you, some of my powers will become your own. Our bond will be unbreakable." He took hold of her rounded hips and lifted them, angling her for his coming invasion. He couldn't believe he'd held back this long, but he was glad that he had so that he could make her first time all about her. Her pleasure had been his own, and now they would share in paradise together.

"I want that, Hades," she whispered, stroking his forearms. "I want you to claim me for your own so badly that I ache."

"Relax, Persephone… open for me, accept me…" He wrapped a hand around himself and guided his tip to her entrance. He pushed, but she was so tight. He gritted his teeth and slowly moved forward. She whimpered softly, and he cursed. "I'm sorry, sweet… I can't… Oh, gods, I can't stop, not even to spare you this pain."

"I don't want you to stop," she panted, and wrapped her legs around his waist. The movement caused him to surge forward another inch, and they both moaned at the sensation.

"Forgive me," he whispered, and brought his mouth crashing down on hers, plundering her mouth and holding her tight while he plunged into her. She screamed into his mouth, but arched against him, and he seated himself to the hilt, then stopped completely. They were joined so wholly together Hades felt he'd never be the same outside of her body. She was wrapped around his shaft like a satin fist made especially for him. He buried his face in her neck and pressed tiny kisses to her heated skin, murmuring his devotion in her ear while she adjusted to his invasion.

Slowly, her hands began stroking his body, first his broad shoulders, then down his muscled back, and then they skimmed his taut buttocks. "That pressure is back," she whispered, her breath caressing his neck like the finest breeze, "I think I need you to make me come again."

He smiled and lifted his head. He stroked her cheeks, wiping away the tears she'd shed, then brought his fingers to his mouth and drank her tears. They meant so much to him. She'd given him her whole self, and he'd never be able to repay her, but he would try. He would give her everything within his power he had to give. He kissed the end of her nose, then gripped her hips again, preparing to withdraw.

"No, don't go!" Persephone pleaded, tightening her legs around him, making him groan.

"I'm going to make you come again, my love." He withdrew, then surged back into her, and her eyes widened in delight. He repeated his action, and sank into her depths over and over, picking up a rhythm that left them both breathless. Persephone gripped his wrists, then his strong forearms, screwing her eyes shut in ecstasy, but Hades leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. Her eyes flew back open. "Watch me, sweet. Watch me as I take you." He lifted his torso off hers, his hands on either side of her head bracing his body, and she glanced down between their bodies where she could see him sliding in and out of her. She'd never seen anything so exquisite, she thought.

Hades leaned down to kiss her, rolling his hips so that the tip of him brushed an ultrasensitive spot high inside her. She cupped his face in her hands and moaned into his mouth, her tongue dueling with his own just as her hips rose to meet his thrusts. Their movements became urgent, frenzied, and Hades pounded into her as she threw her head back against the pillows to moan her satisfaction.

She came violently, clenching around his shaft so tightly he lost control with her, careening over the edge of bliss. Their essences mingled, and the power inside of him spilled over into her, taking her in, merging their psyches so mightily he roared with it. Persephone cried out and began shivering violently in his arms. Their bodies grew so hot he was sure they were on fire, but then the feeling began to recede. He collapsed on top of his wife, their hearts pounding in tandem.

"Is it always like that?" she asked him after a few moments, when their breathing was almost back to normal.

Hades pressed a kiss to her shoulder, but still couldn't move beyond that. "It's never been like that, Persephone." He forced himself to raise his head up so he could look into her stunning eyes. He was taken aback for a moment at the love that shone there, so stark and unreserved. He would never cease to be amazed by her and her total acceptance of him. "I can't thank you properly with words, Persephone. You've given me something I never thought to have."

Persephone wrapped an arm around his neck, her fingers sinking into his hair. "Hades, I give my love to you freely. I am the one who must thank you. I never thought to feel so free, so fulfilled. I keep wondering if any moment now I'm going to wake up and find it has all been a dream."

He pressed a kiss to her bruised lips, because he didn't know what to say. He'd never been good with emotions, not until she'd come along. "I am sorry I hurt you. I was rougher than I'd intended."

She gave him a knowing look. "I quite enjoyed it, and you know it."

He smirked. "When you're good, you're good." He traced her lips with his finger. "I am so proud of you, Persephone."

She raised a brow, and licked the tip of his finger. "Show me," she suggested, rubbing the back of his calf with her toes.

He laughed deeply, and noticed that suddenly he had regained his strength. "Insatiable wench. I knew you'd be this way after your first time. I could feel the fire in you from the moment you set eyes on me. You've wanted me ever since, admit it."

"Who's denying it? You are, after all, magnificent." She wrapped both arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him leisurely, exploring his mouth the way he'd explored hers.

He stared intently at her as she pulled away. "You are a quick learner," he praised, and reached down to play his fingers along her hip.

"Aren't you glad?" she teased. Before he even had time to blink, she'd flipped him over onto his back and was perched astride his body, her palms flat against his chest. "I saw a statue like this one time, in Aphrodite's temple, before my mother could pull me away. My only thought was, 'One day I'd like to be on top of Hades like that.' Isn't it funny, Husband, when I didn't actually know how much pleasure being on top of you would bring me?" She moved to take him into her body, but he grabbed hold of her hips.

"This new position might hurt at first," he warned, thinking himself crazed to try and stop her. Her words had aroused him so much he was as hard as a diamond.

"Only at first?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side in question in that way that he found so innocent and adorable.

"Yes," he gritted out, and his arms shook with the effort of keeping her off of him.

She wrapped her hand around his arousal and brought the tip to her opening, and she sank onto his length with a low moan. Hades watched her with wonder and admiration.

"I love you," he choked out, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He, the mighty Lord of the Underworld, moved to tears by the mere slip of a goddess. She'd completely conquered his heart.

Persephone reached out and caught the tear, then sucked it from her finger. "I love you, too," she told him in a soft voice.

"Then show me," he pleaded.

And she did.


End file.
